System and method for measuring moisture content in a conductive environment

ABSTRACT

Accurate and stable measurement of the dielectric constant of the substance or a mixture of substances by the use of measuring the delay through a transmission line imbedded in the substance as a delay means with compensation for signal degradation brought about by conductivity of the substance. The substance for which the dielectric constant is to be measured is introduced between or about the elements of the transmission line so as to vary the propagation or delay of the signals through the transmission line.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to the use of delay through a delay line for measuring the dielectric properties of materials surrounding the delay line, in particular for the measurement of the dielectric constant where changes of conductivity affect the delay time.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0002] The concept of measuring dielectric constant through the use of a delay line was taught by Friedman (U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,416) in 1976. Friedman further teaches the delay line can be integrally coupled as a portion of an oscillator and produce a frequency that is a function of the dielectric constant. The measured frequency can then be used to determine the dielectric constant.

[0003] Woodhead, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,125), teaches that the delay line can specifically be used as the feedback element in a simple oscillator structure and produce an output frequency that is proportional to the dielectric constant. Woodhead specifically applied this technique to the measurement of soil moisture. While the teachings of Woodhead provided the teaching necessary to construct a simple sensor, the sensor tended to be heavily influenced by the electrical conductivity of the medium. The conductivity of soil is dependent upon soil salts, temperature and composition. The losses in the medium tend to slow the rise time and therefore make the delay longer than just the propagation through the delay line would indicate. In a sensor derived from Woodhead's teachings, the sample would appear to be moister that it actually was. Woodhead's teachings acknowledge this in the following statement, “the influence of losses due to solid conductivity may be reduced by insulating the line, although the volume of soil sampled and therefore the influence of soil moisture via capacitance is also reduced.” The need to compensate for temperature effects on the dielectric constant is well known, but Woodhead's teachings fail to instruct in how to compensate for these changes.

[0004] Hocker (U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,384) taught the use of soil resistivity measurement to determine soil moisture content. However, fertilization adds ions that change the conductivity and hence change the moisture measurement reading.

[0005] Feuer (U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,178) also teaches that “the use of an LC oscillator can minimize the adverse effects of the conductivity variances in the medium being monitored, because the resistance of the medium, (and, thus, the medium's conductivity) has minimal or now effect on the resonant frequency of an LC oscillator circuit.” While this method is effective in many cases, the frequencies are generally very high requiring that limit the capacitor's size and therefore, the propagation time across the capacitive plate or rod limit the effective measuring area. Also, as the length of the capacitor grows, the resistance decreases until it can again affect the accuracy of the instrument.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is the object of the present invention to provide a dielectric monitor which allows the measurement of moisture content or content of any other materials with a high dielectric constant averaged over an extended volume of material where the sensor has the ability to compensate for some level of variable conductivity.

[0007] Accordingly, the invention provides a method where the rise time of the pulse arriving from the transmission line is used to compute a correction for the delay time induced by the pulse degradation caused by loss of signal strength due to the conductivity of the sample. It also provides a method to compute a correction factor for temperature effects. We also demonstrate three independent sensing apparatus that each utilizes the correction method above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the degradation of a square wave traveling through a medium with varying degrees of conductivity.

[0009]FIG. 2 shows the degradation caused to an oscillator circuit in a conductive environment.

[0010]FIG. 3 shows the method to determine the amount of degradation and the method to remove this degradation from the dielectric computation.

[0011]FIG. 4 shows a detailed schematic of the first embodiment

[0012]FIG. 5 shows a detailed schematic of the second embodiment

[0013]FIG. 6 shows a detailed schematic of the third embodiment.

[0014]FIG. 7 shows a trace diagram of key signals from the implementation of FIG. 6

[0015]FIG. 8 shows a simplified implementation of the third embodiment

[0016]FIG. 9 shows the a diagram of the key signals from the embodiment shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0017]FIG. 1 demonstrates the propagation delay of a wave traveling through medium of similar dielectric constant but with differing conductivity. The Transmitted Wave is the voltage at the sending end of the transmission line on one leg. In this example, the derived Transmitted Wave is developed from an external oscillator. The other leg of the transmission line would be transmitted out of phase with the first leg. That is, when the first leg is high the second leg is low. The Ideal Received Wave shows the ideal wave where the transmission line impedance is matched producing an exact replica of the original wave delayed in time. The trace titled Received Wave with Moderate Conductivity shows the wave as it arrives at the receiving end of the transmission line in a medium with moderate conductivity. Note that there is a definite rise and fall time associated with this wave. Also note that the time it takes from the launching of the Transmitted Wave to the half amplitude point is definitely longer than the same half amplitude point on the Ideal Received Wave. It is important to note that the edge of the wave sent at moderate conductivity arrives at the same time as the ideal wave, but the rise time is significantly longer. The detection method senses the center of the received wave. This extra time translates to a longer apparent time propagation time. The last trace shows the same thing in a very conductive medium where the losses are so great as to prevent the Received wave from reaching full amplitude. The point of inflection of the wave still appears at the ideal delay time, but the half amplitude point is reached significantly later. It is apparent that as conductivity increases, the apparent propagation delay increases. The intent of this invention is to offer a level of compensation to factor out the effects of rise time and therefore conductivity on the propagation delay time measurement.

[0018] In 1976 Friedman (U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,416) teaches the delay line can be integrally coupled as a portion of an oscillator and produce a frequency that is a function of the dielectric constant. FIG. 2 shows the effect of conductivity on that measured frequency. On the first trace set showing a Transmitted Wave and an Ideal Received Wave, D1 and DRT1 show the components that make up the perceived propagation delay. D1 is the ideal propagation delay and DRT1 is the portion of the delay that is induced by the pulse rise time. In the ideal trace, there is no contribution from DRT1. The second and third wave sets show the effect of moderate and severe conductivity. Note that the delay times D2 and D3 are equal, but that the rise time as shown by DRT2 and DRT3 increase significantly. The transmitted wave is reversed when the 50 percent threshold is crossed. Note that the transmitted wave period increases based on the amount of conductivity in the sample. The accuracy of the measurement is proportionally degraded by conductivity.

[0019]FIG. 3 demonstrates the correction method. The detector apparatus is designed to have hysteresis. With low hysteresis, the detection device will trigger when the two legs, Leg 1 and Leg 2 on the diagram, of the delay line are approximately equal. In the high hysteresis case, the detection device is set such that it will not trigger until the two legs of the device have not only crossed in level, but have reach a predetermined threshold level. The actual delay can be approximated by mathematically by detecting the differences in the delay between the two thresholds and projecting mathematically the true propagation delay. To use this technique with the detection method taught by Friedman, one would take one reading at a normal threshold, and another reading at the high threshold level. The difference in frequency, and therefore difference in delay time could be used as simply as subtracting the delay time difference from the normal threshold delay time. The actual correction would be based on the level of hysteresis set for the second reading. It should be obvious that the curve, though approximately linier, in not strictly Tinier, and therefore higher order correction algorithms will yield more accurate results than the simple Tinier example used in this example.

[0020]FIG. 4 shows detailed schematic for the first sensor apparatus composed of the following:

[0021] 1. A detector comprising an analog switch U10, a high speed comparator U3, R22, R4, R5, R9, R23, and R10,

[0022] 2. A pulse generator with complimentary outputs comprised of U8a, R21 and C3,

[0023] 3. A counter section composed of U4 and U5,

[0024] 4. Impedance matching resistors R3, R6 and R8,

[0025] 5. A transmission line,

[0026] 6. And a control section composed of U1, a micro controller.

[0027] U8a generates a pulse that is transmitted down the transmission line. The pulse length from the pulse generator is set to be shorter that the shortest possible delay time of the transmission time. When the pulse reaches the end of the delay line, the respective lines begin to move to the new level at a rate determined by the rise and fall times. If SDA is low, the analog switch U10 is not enabled and the hysteresis is determined by the ratio of R22 to R5. This is the high hysteresis mode. Note that R23 and R10 have the same values as R22 to R5 respectively in order that the circuit remains balanced. When the high hysteresis voltage level is reached, U3 switches state sending U3 pin 8 low. The high to low transition on U8 pin 1 will trigger U8a to fire another pulse. This next pulse travels the length of the transmission line and again triggers a high to low transition on U3 pin 1. This process will run continuously until such time as the micro controller, U1, disables it. The microprocessor will enable the counters shown as U4 and U7in order to count the total number of pulses. The micro controller will monitor the counters to detect and count any overflow events. After a fixed period of time, the micro controller will stop the counter and read the total number of pulses that have transversed the delay line. The micro controller will then raise the SDA line. At this time, R4 and R9 will be introduced into the circuit in parallel with R22 and R23 respectively. The hysteresis is now small and the pulses coming down the transmission line will trigger U3 to fire when the inputs are approximately equal. The micro controller will again read the number of pulses transversing the delay line. Subtracting the difference in delay between the two readings from the delay computed with R4 and R9 introduced into the circuit can approximate the actual delay.

[0028]FIG. 5 shows detailed schematic for the second sensor apparatus composed of the following:

[0029] 1. A detector comprising an analog switch U10, a high speed comparator U3, R22, R4, R5, R9, R23, and R10,

[0030] 2. A counter section composed of U4 and U5,

[0031] 3. Impedance matching resistors R3, R6 and R8,

[0032] 4. A transmission line,

[0033] 5. And a control section composed of U1, a micro controller.

[0034] This application is built upon and extends the art taught by Friedman such that the delay line can be integrally coupled as a portion of an oscillator and produces a frequency that is a function of the dielectric constant. This apparatus adds the ability to measure the frequency at two levels of hysteresis and then use the two readings to determine the dielectric constant. The output of the detector is attached directly to the inputs of the transmission line. The output of the transmission line is attached to the inputs of the detector in such a way as to produce a phase reversal. When a pulse exits the transmission line, it causes the detector to change output states and send an edge in the opposite direction. This process continues and produces a series of pulses that approximate a square wave with rounded shoulders. The rounded shoulders being caused by conductivity induced changes in rise time. It is important to note that the delay through the detector circuitry must be short as compared with the delay through the transmission line for optimal results. If the delay through the transmission line is not long compared to the delay and rise time of the detector circuit, the delay line signal will mix with the feedback signal and the integrity of the transitions edges will be lost. If the integrity of the individual transitions is lost, the circuit is much less effective in compensating for the electrical losses induced by the conductivity of the medium. It is important to differentiate this approach from that taught by Woodhead. Woodhead taught that the delay line could be used as a portion of the feedback loop to produce an oscillator. Note that analog switch U10, R22, R4, R5, R9, R23, and R10, form the balanced feedback circuitry for this apparatus. The time through the detector is also short compared to delay of the transmission line such that each transition is a separate event and the feedback elements; U10, R22, R4, R5, R9, R23, and R10, handle each transition edge event individually. Therefore, during each transition, the transmission line serves as a source to the input of the detector, but not as a portion of the feedback loop.

[0035] The series of pulses will be generated continuously at such time as the micro controller, U1, enables the detector. The microprocessor will enable the counters shown as U4 and U7in order to count the total number of pulses. After a fixed period of time, the micro controller will stop the counter and read the total number of pulses that have transversed the delay line. The micro controller will monitor the counters to detect and count any overflow events. The micro controller will then raise the SDA line. At this time, R4 and R9 will be introduced into the circuit in parallel with R22 and R23 respectively. The hysteresis is now small and the pulses coming down the transmission line will trigger U3 to fire when the inputs are approximately equal. The micro controller will again read the number of pulses transversing the delay line. Subtracting the difference in delay between the two readings from the delay computed with R4 and R9 introduced into the circuit can approximate the actual delay.

[0036]FIG. 9 demonstrates the third embodiment. Note that this implementation is a single ended design to ease in understanding. A more detailed differential implementation will follow. The oscillator and line driver output a fixed frequency square wave down the transmission that is imbedded in the media to be measured. The oscillator also outputs a square wave that is in phase with the transmitted wave. As the transmitted wave propagates down the transmission line, it degrades. The amount of degradation is dependent upon losses due to the media. When the wave is received at the comparator, it will be severely distorted as shown in FIG. 8. To take a reading, the microprocessor asserts the hysteresis control as represented by the High Hysteresis Detection Process in FIG. 8. Note that the Received Wave after Detection is shifted in phase from the degraded Received Wave. The Oscillator out signal and the Received Wave after Detection are impressed on an exclusive OR function, with the output being the Exclusive OR Output wave shown in FIG. 8. The low pass filter removes the effects of any individual pulse variation and putouts a DC voltage that is proportional to the overlap of the transmitted and received signals. The analog to digital converter converts the analog voltage to a digital representation of that voltage and passes it on to the microprocessor. After the initial reading is obtained, the microprocessor de-asserts the Hysteresis Control line and repeats the process with the results shown in the Low Hysteresis Detection Process portion of FIG. 8. This reading is directly proportional to the transmission line delay and the delay caused by the detection process. Note that the pulse widths have changed resulting in a change in average value. The processor can use the difference in voltage reading between the high and low hysteresis readings to develop a correction to the voltage reading from the low hysteresis detection process. This correction allow for more accurate readings of the dielectric constant or water present because it again determines a correction for the losses in the soil that causing the wave to degrade from the ideal wave.

[0037]FIG. 6 demonstrates a third alternative with more detail and in a differential mode of operation. The micro controller oscillator is used to supply a fixed frequency oscillator. The oscillator is buffered by U2B and output onto the transmission line through a pair of high speed, high power amplifiers, U6A and U6B. Note that one is inverted and the other is not. This provides a high-powered balanced differential drive to the transmission line. The other end of the transmission line is connected to two detection circuits. One, formed by U1, R3, R1, R4, and R6, has high hysteresis and the other, formed by U5, R13, R11, R14, and R16, has little hysteresis. The output of the detectors is compared with the input drive to the transmission line by exclusive NOR gates U2A and U2C. FIG. 7 Trace 1 shows the input line as drive by U2B. Trace 2 shows each output of the delay line. Trace 3 shows the output of detector U2C which has little hysteresis,. Trace 4 shows the exclusive NOR function that produces a wave shape that is a logical high when trace 1 and Trace 3 are not the same and a logical zero when they are the same. As the delay increases, the length of the pulses is increased and the DC component of the signal increases. The DC level is therefore a function of the delay and the delay time can be read by an analog to digital converter reading the filtered output of Trace 4. Trace 5 shows the output of the detector U2A that has high hysteresis. Trace 6 shows the exclusive NOR function that produces a wave shape that is a logical high when Trace 1 and Trace 5 are not the same and a logical zero when they are the same. Trace 6 shows the output of the detector with little hysteresis, U2C. Note that the pulse widths are different. The outputs of the exclusive nor gates are fed through low pass filters comprised of R5, C3, and R7 for the high hysteresis channel and R15, C9 and R17 for the channel with little hysteresis. The low pass filters produce a output that is a function of the duty cycle of the signal feeding it. It can be seen in FIG. 8 that Trace 6 has a higher DC component that Trace 4. U3A, R2, R10 and R8 form an amplification and buffering stage for the high hysteresis channel. This amplification stage is set to provide a wide and calibrated voltage swing matching the characteristics of the driving delay line. U3B, R12, R19 and R18 provide the same function for the channel with little hysteresis. The outputs are feed into the Analog to Digital converter inputs of the micro controller. The difference in voltage between the two outputs provides a correction factor to subtract from the low hysteresis channel yielding a corrected reading that is a function of the true delay of the transmission line.

[0038] Note that one detector with programmable hysteresis similar to that used in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 can be used and reading taken sequentially. This alternative was shown to aid in explanation.

[0039]FIG. 7 gives the flow chart showing the steps in the conversion process. The moisture reading process is started with the arrival of a command request to take a reading. If a command is present, a reading at the high threshold is taken. A reading at the low threshold is then taken. The low threshold reading most accurately represents the true propagation delay, however this reading may have substantial errors due to conductivity of the media. As shown above, the processor can use the difference between the high and low threshold readings to add a degree of correction to the low threshold reading. The corrected is then provided to the processes issuing the command for the moisture reading.

[0040] Having illustrated and described the principles of this invention in a number of preferred embodiments thereof, it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. We claim all modifications coming within the scope of the accompanying claims. 

I claim:
 1. A system for monitoring material having an associated dielectric constant in an environment wherein the material exhibits conductivity comprising: an electrical signal, a transmitted waveform wherein the transmitted wave is derived from the electrical signal, a transmission line wherein the transmission line is surrounded by the material and the electrical signal is propagated through the transmission line, a received waveform wherein the received waveform is derived from the electrical signal after the electrical signal has propagated through the transmission line, the received waveform further includes a propagation delay component and a pulse rise-time component, the propagation delay component reflects the propagation time between the transmitted waveform and the received waveform, a decoder for decoding the received waveform into a first component and a second component wherein the first component approximates the propagation delay component and the second component approximates the pulse rise-time component, wherein the first component is interpreted as an approximation of the dielectric constant of the material and is monitored.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the electrical signal is a differential electrical signal.
 3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a hysteresis adjustment wherein the second component is determined by taking a plurality of readings with varying hysteresis settings and interpolating the readings to derive the second component.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the environment is an irrigation environment and the approximation of the dielectric constant is used to monitor the moisture in the irrigation environment.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein water is applied to the environment when the approximation of the dielectric constant drops below a first threshold and water is withheld from the environment when the approximation of the dielectric constant exceeds a second threshold.
 6. The system of claim 2 further comprising a hysteresis adjustment wherein the second component is determined by taking a plurality of readings with varying hysteresis settings and interpolating the readings to derive the second component.
 7. The system of claim 2 wherein the environment is an irrigation environment and the approximation of the dielectric constant is used to monitor the moisture in the irrigation environment.
 8. The system of claim 2 wherein water is applied to the environment when the approximation of the dielectric constant drops below a first threshold and water is withheld from the environment when the approximation of the dielectric constant exceeds a second threshold.
 9. The system of claim 6 wherein the environment is an irrigation environment and the approximation of the dielectric constant is used to monitor the moisture in the irrigation environment.
 10. The system of claim 6 wherein water is applied to the environment when the approximation of the dielectric constant drops below a first threshold and water is withheld from the environment when the approximation of the dielectric constant exceeds a second threshold.
 11. The system of claim 9 wherein water is applied to the environment when the approximation of the dielectric constant drops below a first threshold and water is withheld from the environment when the approximation of the dielectric constant exceeds a second threshold. 